The present invention relates to systems and methods for authenticating and registering personal background data, including over networks and particularly the Internet.
Misrepresentations by job applicants of their backgrounds put employers at risk of hiring persons lacking in training or experience that employers were counting on when the applicants were hired. Indirectly such misrepresentations, besides camouflaging the absence of training or experience, also are indicative of potentially unreliable employees. Employers also risk public embarrassment when an employee""s misrepresentations are discovered, regardless of the employee""s job performance. There have therefore arisen over time a variety of services providing background checking of applicants for employment.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s personal background data, wherein the data have been authenticated. The background data may, for example, but need not necessarily, be presented in a rxc3xa9sumxc3xa9. The method of this embodiment includes establishing a data record, relating to the candidate""s personal background data, in a digital storage medium. The data record has a unique identifier, and includes
(i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and
(ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party.
Next, the identifier is communicated to the candidate, and access to the data record is permitted to a person providing the identifier, so that the candidate has the power to grant an outside user access to the data record by communicating the identifier to the outside user.
In a further embodiment, establishing the data record includes:
a. from a computer at a first location, separately specifying over a network to a host computer a set of components of the candidate""s personal background data, each component being potentially verifiable by contacting a third party;
b. storing, in a digital storage medium in communication with the host computer, the set of components;
c. for each component of the set, identifying a relevant third party and pertinent contact information therefor;
communicating a query to the relevant third party to verify the component, and obtaining a query result from the query; and
associating the query result with the component and storing the query result in the storage medium.
In a further related embodiment, the set of components may be specified by providing responses via a set of templates. The set of templates has at least one member and is structured to evince the content of the set of components. Either or both of specifying the set of components and obtaining a query result from the query may optionally be performed over the Internet and may be via a World Wide Web server. Communicating a query to the relevant third party to verify the component may also be performed over the Internet and may be performed automatically and may include sending the query as E-Mail. Similarly, communicating the identifier to the candidate may also be performed over the Internet and may be performed automatically and may include sending the identifier as E-Mail.
Another embodiment provides a method of structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s personal background data, wherein the data have been authenticated. In this embodiment, the method includes establishing a data record, relating to the candidate""s personal background data, in a digital storage medium. The data record in turn includes (i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and (ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party. The embodiment also includes providing to the candidate a mechanism to selectively distribute access to the data record, so that the data record is accessible to those who have been given the mechanism.
Another embodiment provides a method of structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s personal background data, wherein the data have been authenticated. In this embodiment, the method includes establishing a data record, relating to the candidate""s personal background data, in a digital storage medium. The data record in turn includes (i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and (ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party. The embodiment also includes providing to a person other than the candidate a mechanism to selectively distribute access to the data record, so that the data record is accessible to those who have been given the mechanism.
Yet another embodiment provides a method of structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s rxc3xa9umsxc3xa9, wherein the rxc3xa9umsxc3xa9 has been authenticated. The method of this embodiment includes establishing a data record, relating to the candidate""s rxc3xa9umsxc3xa9, in a digital storage medium. The stored data record has a unique identifier and includes (i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and (ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party. The embodiment also includes communicating the identifier to the candidate, and permitting access to the data record by a person providing the identifier, so that the candidate has the power to grant an outside user access to the data record by communicating the identifier to the outside user.
In a further embodiment, establishing the data record includes:
a. from a computer at a first location, separately specifying over a network to a host computer a set of components of the candidate""s rxc3xa9umsxc3xa9, each component being potentially verifiable by contacting a third party;
b. storing, in a digital storage medium in communication with the host computer, the set of components;
c. for each component of the set, identifying a relevant third party and pertinent contact information therefor;
communicating a query to the relevant third party to verify the component, and obtaining a query result from the query; and
associating the query result with the component and storing the query result in the storage medium.
In another embodiment, there is provided a method of structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s rxc3xa9umsxc3xa9, wherein the rxc3xa9umsxc3xa9 has been authenticated. The method of this embodiment includes establishing a data record, relating to the candidate""s rxc3xa9umsxc3xa9, in a digital storage medium. The data record includes
(i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and
(ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party.
The method of this embodiment also includes providing to the candidate a mechanism to selectively distribute access to the data record. In this manner, the data record is accessible to those who have been given the mechanism by the candidate. In a further related embodiment, providing the mechanism may include providing an original document containing the data record and a certification, the certification being indicative of authentication of the document. Alternatively, or in addition, providing the mechanism includes providing a unique identifier of the data record.
In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method of structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s personal background data, wherein the data have been authenticated. The method of this embodiment includes establishing a database in a digital storage medium containing a plurality of data records. Each data record relates to personal background data of an individual and includes (i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and (ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party. The embodiment also includes providing a search engine in communication with the digital storage medium for identifying data records satisfying a non-null set of search criteria. In a further related embodiment, the search engine is accessible via a server over the Internet, and optionally, the server is a World Wide Web server.
Another related embodiment provides a system for structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s personal background data, wherein the data have been authenticated. The system of this embodiment includes a first process, running on a computer in communication with a digital storage medium, that establishes a data record for the data in the digital storage medium. The data record has a unique identifier and includes
(i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and
(ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party.
The system also includes a second process, running on a computer in communication with the digital storage medium, that communicates the identifier to the candidate. In this manner, the data record is accessible to those who have been given the identifier by the candidate.
Another related embodiment provides a system for structuring a database to provide access to a candidate""s personal background data, wherein the data have been authenticated. This embodiment includes
(a) a storage arrangement on which is stored a database having a plurality of data records, each data record relating to personal background data of an individual and including
(i) a set of components, each component being potentially verifiable, and
(ii) a corresponding set of query results, the corresponding set including, with respect to each component, the result of a verification query to a third party; and
(b) a process, running on a computer in communication with the digital storage medium, for selectively providing access, to authorized persons, to a data record pertaining to the candidate. In a related embodiment, access is provided selectively to one who proffers a unique identifier of the data record.